via Wikimedia Creative Commons by Artura Pardavilla III
One of only two Asian Americans to manage a Major League Baseball team is speaking out against anti-Asian hate.
MLB.com reports that Los Angeles Dodger manager Dave Roberts, whose mother is Japanese and father is Black, sent out an email to the entire Dodger organization.
“Over the past year, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of hate crimes against Asian Americans and the Pacific Islander community. In recent months, those attacks have intensified and have targeted the elderly in California and New York — such bullying is cowardice.”
Roberts worked on the email with Dodgers traveling secretary Scott Akasaki, who is Japanese American.
“We’re all aware of it and it was just something that was on my heart that I felt needed to be shared,” Roberts said.
Roberts addressed the topic further on Monday during Spring Training, according to ESPN.
“It hit obviously close to home for me, and I just felt that I wanted to address it internally and show my support for the Asian Americans in our organization first off,” he said.
Roberts said the email has been well received.
Roberts became the second Asian American manager in Major League Baseball history in 2016 after Seattle Mariner Don Wakamatsu, who spent two seasons as manager in 2009 and 2010.
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